Sick
by Dangsoo
Summary: Naruto falls very ill. Can Kakashi, Sasuke and the others find out what is ailing him in time? Not yaoi. Disclaimer: All rights reserved. Now beta'd by the wonderful EagleTsubasa! (Currently beta'd chapters: 1-15)
1. Morning

The sun beat down on Naruto's back and neck as he walked slowly through a quiet street of Konoha. He looked up and cursed the harsh light as it fell on his skin and seemed to weigh him down like a thick blanket; he stumbled slightly as it rolled over him. He looked up, squinting at a large clock mounted onto a tower a few streets away. The sun glanced off the face, but he made out the position of the hands.

_Damn it_, he thought as he willed his feet to move faster. He picked up his pace little by little, allowing his body to adjust to the speed before jumping atop a building and running over the roofs. He turned his eyes away from the sun as he jumped gaps, his feet sending regular jolts up his body in rhythmic motions. He saw the two teens waiting at the bridge – as usual, Kakashi hadn't turned up yet. Naruto jumped down from the tree he was in, intending to run the 300 metres of open space, but as he landed his knees gave way and he dropped heavily to the ground. He frowned as his face made contact with the twig strewn grass.

Sasuke watched Naruto jump from the building roof and onto a large oak tree. He flicked his eyes up to the soundless blue sky and watched a cloud float idly by before hearing the sound of feet hitting grass. He turned his head, smirking, expecting to hear Naruto shouting as he ran towards them – his eyebrow quirked to see Naruto falling instead. Sasuke made to go over, but stopped as he watched Naruto push himself up from the grass, a confused frown on his face. _Dobe, _he thought as Naruto resumed his journey towards the two standing figures.

"Naruto reached the rest of his team with a sheepish expression on his face."'Heh…" He ran his hand over the back of his head and through his spiked blonde hair, grinning.

"What was that, Naruto?" Sakura asked, smirking. "Landed funny?"

"Yeah! Must have been!" Naruto smiled and leaned against the bridge arms. He looked up at the sun once again, wincing at the light. "Am I late?"

"No, dobe – do you see Kakashi?"

Naruto frowned at the insult. "No."

He put the back of his hand to his forehead and leaned more heavily against the wooden barrier that was supporting him, watching Sasuke idly stare up at the sky. A bird flew past and he envied the freedom it must feel and experience – that bird would just take it for granted, though it knew little better. Naruto sighed at his teacher's lateness once again. He pondered the stupid excuses that Kakashi might come up with. emMaybe a unicorn really has eaten him this time/em, he thought and smirked at his own foolishness.

He glanced at Sasuke's vacant expression, and then at Sakura who was unconsciously mirroring it; he suspected that his own face was twisted into a similar 'bored-out-of-mind' look. They waited. The sun continued to shine brightly and harshly down on them, tanning their pale skin and making Naruto feel sluggish. Kakashi popped out of nowhere, book in hand, shoulders slouched, feet together, face covered. _Well at least_ he _won't be getting burnt in this sun_, Naruto thought exasperatedly.

He stared at Kakashi, frustrated; he knew that the other two were doing the same. Kakashi smiled cheerily, lifted one flattened hand up and opened his cloth covered mouth, no doubt to spurt some useless fictional excuse that was both a waste of breath and a useless endeavour on his part – none of them would believe him. He decided to refrain from doing so.

"Let's go then!" he said and jogged towards the river. "On-water sparring practice, today." The three teenage ninjas followed briskly, Naruto trailing slightly behind.


	2. Training

As the day wore on, Naruto began to feel unwell. Loathe to admit it, he shrugged off the oncoming sickness and continued to dart over the water surface, sparring with Kakashi. Sasuke and Sakura watched nearby, sheltered under a tree, away from the sun. Naruto envied them. So far, he had done the most work of the day – though he needed it, he was still envious of the two lounging figures.

_It's just too hot..._

He darted away from Kakashi and landed back onto the slowly-moving water; his feet sank down into the liquid. Kakashi frowned at him. "Chakra, Naruto."

"Sorry." Naruto restored himself to the surface of the water, but found that he just sank back into it.

Kakashi walked over, his feet sending small ripples in the luminescent liquid below. "Naruto?"

"Eh?" He squinted his eyes up at Kakashi who was silhouetted in the sun. His head hurt…

"Are you alright?" Kakashi put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Yes! Let's carry on." Naruto bolstered a smile, but Kakashi wasn't convinced.

"Go and sit under the tree – call Sakura and Sasuke over now. You look hot." Naruto smiled and walked over across the water, still ankle deep, while Kakashi frowned at the seemingly sudden change in his physical stamina. He watched as Naruto stumbled slightly, his pace slow; he reached the tree and sank down against it, speaking to Sasuke and Sakura who jumped up and ran over across the water towards their teacher.

"Did Naruto sound alright to you?" Kakashi glanced over at the boy who was leaning against the tree, his head leaned back. The two nodded. "Alright… Let's begin."

"Naruto watched the three spar, though he was finding it hard to concentrate on the three figures – his head hurt and the harsh sunlight seemed to cut into his eyes like little knives. He just wanted to turn off the sun altogether, though he obviously couldn't do that. Instead, he covered his eyes with his hand and tried to forget his painful head – he failed miserably. He knew that Kakashi had noticed that he was feeling unwell, but he was sure that it was nothing. Everyone got ill sometimes! Everyone got over it! He could, too, and he could do it alone. Naruto shifted, rubbing his stiff neck. The light was too bright…

An hour or more passed, and the three ninja sparred under the hot sun. The heat became unbearable for even Kakashi at midday, so they retreated to the tree, under which Naruto was reclined against the large trunk. As Sakura and Sasuke settled with their bento, Kakashi kneeled beside the boy. His face had paled considerably and his eyes were shut as if the light pained him. Kakashi put his hand on the boy's shoulder – he mumbled and rolled his neck a little.  
><em>I'll let him sleep,<em> he thought and moved over to the two enjoying their lunch.


	3. Lunch

Naruto's head hurt – the light, of course, was doing nothing to help and his neck pained him. He frowned as he shifted a little; he was still under the tree – he wasn't sure how long he had been there. He opened his eyes a crack and glanced over at the three figures eating lunch and shifted his body towards them.

"How long have I been asleep?" he said quietly. Sasuke and Kakashi turned around, and Sakura peered over the shoulders of the two.

Kakashi answered. "About 20 minutes. I didn't want to wake you up – you looked tired."

Naruto frowned at him. "I don't need to sleep!" He balled a fist. "I need to train!"

"No – I think you need to eat." Kakashi proffered a rice ball – Naruto's stomach lurched at the thought of food. He took it from his teacher and stared at the hand pressed rice – it looked like Sakura's handiwork. Although he was desperate to eat Sakura's food – the thought of putting the soft, sticky rice into his mouth, the white food sticking to his teeth, gathering on his tongue… He supressed a heave and handed it back to Kakashi.

"Nah… I'm fine…"

"Kakashi frowned at him. "You don't look well at all, Naruto."

"He looked over the boy's features. He was pale – unusually so – and he squinted his eyes as if the light was painful. He was refraining from moving his neck. Kakashi stood and walked over to Naruto who had leaned back against the tree trunk after declining the food. He placed a cool hand on the boy's forehead and retracted it quickly – he was extremely hot. Kakashi hummed in concern. Naruto turned away from Kakashi – he was in front of the sun again.

"No! I'm fine. Totally fine!" Naruto stood, or at least attempted to, but his legs wouldn't let him get any higher than halfway before giving underneath him. He slumped against the tree. "...Alright. I'm not," he growled. He gave up on putting on a healthy front – though he had been failing before, anyway – and pressed his hand to his head, shutting his eyes tightly.

Sasuke, who had remained stoically silent throughout the proceedings, pushed himself up and walked on his knees towards Naruto – he studied his face, much like Kakashi had done, before unzipping Naruto's orange and black jacket. Naruto protested, holding the zip, but could do little to stop the boy. He surrendered his coat and resumed concentrating on blocking out all light to his eyes with his arm.

Sasuke studied the newly exposed skin and gestured for Sakura to do the same – they began to look over his pale arms and neck before rolling up his shirt to reveal his chest and back. Sasuke spotted something and gestured to Kakashi to take a closer look – Naruto couldn't hear what they were saying, but the tone seemed worried at best. As he could do little to stop them, he left them to it, and instead tried to return to sleep.

Kakashi's worry became more profound as he noticed large red rash on Naruto's lower back and another patch of rashes on his wrist. He decided there and then and hefted Naruto up into the air before depositing the practically limp boy over his back. He held his feet and Naruto wrapped his arms around Kakashi's neck, purely in fear of falling. He didn't want to be there.

_I'm not injured!_ he thought urgently as he squirmed and wriggled, trying to loosen Kakashi's hold on his feet, but his teacher held firm. "No… No… I don't want to be carried!" Naruto whined, but knew that he was practically incapable of doing much else.

"You are going to Tsunade straight away, Naruto, and I am going to take you whether you like it or not!" Kakashi said brusquely. He turned to the two younger ninjas. "Training is over for today." The two nodded and darted off. Kakashi jumped up into the very same tree that Naruto had fallen from that morning and sprang towards Konoha Hospital.


	4. Hospital

Naruto dazedly watched trees and buildings whizz by as he rode on Kakashi's back. He rested his head on his teacher's shoulder and shut his eyes once again to the bright, bright sun. emIf only it was night/em, he thought wistfully as a breeze ruffled his and Kakashi's hair. He shuddered – the three had left his jacket open in an attempt to cool him down, though this had left him shivering. Kakashi landed particularly hard on a roof of a building and the jolt went straight through his aching neck and into his pounding head. He grunted with the impact.

"Sorry," Kakashi apologised. "I want to get there quickly."

"Why?" Naruto mumbled. "It's just the flu or something…"

"Kakashi didn't answer and continued to jump across rooftops. He landed on the ground a few streets away and walked briskly to the front of the Konoha Hospital, pushing open the doors with his foot before a doctor hurried over to help him.

"I think that Tsunade should see him. This isn't the flu." The doctor took a look at the boy slumped over Kakashi's back and seemed to agree. He led Kakashi to a bed on the nearest ward and helped him to deposit Naruto onto the firm mattress. Kakashi pulled up a chair and watched as Naruto buried his face in the pillow, supposedly to block out the light in the room. He went over and shut the curtains, much to Naruto's relief, before returning to the chair and frowning at the boy's state.

Tsunade bustled into the room a few minutes later. She greeted Kakashi with a short, "Hello," before walking over to the window.

Kakashi jumped up. "Don't…"

"Why?" Tsunade asked, brows knitted in thought.

"The light hurts his eyes. When I closed them, he relaxed."

Tsunade opened the curtains a crack – just enough for a small beam to fall over Naruto's face. He shied away from the questing light, mumbling something into the pillows, before covering his forehead with his hands. "Turn it off!" he said urgently. Tsunade let go of the curtain, once gain restoring the semi-darkness in the sparsely decorated hospital room, not failing to notice the audible sigh of relief that came from Naruto. She walked over to the bed and sat opposite from Kakashi, the prone boy on the bed between them.

"Describe to me what you have observed, Kakashi," she said brusquely. "This is quite unlike Naruto…"

Kakashi nodded. "He has a high temperature, light hurts him and he looks to have a stiff neck. He has no appetite and is unsteady on his feet. Sasuke also found some rashes on his lower back and wrist."

Tsunade watched Naruto intently as he described the symptoms – he indeed seemed to be showing all of the tell-tale signs. She rolled up both of his sleeves to reveal the rash, and pushed him to his side, pulling up his shirt to see the rash on his back. Naruto grumbled at being moved.

"My neck hurts! Don't move me!" he griped, though did nothing to stop them. He was too busy trying not to vomit.

Tsunade put her hand on his forehead. "Are you cold, Naruto?" she asked, more gently.

"Freezing," Naruto huffed and tried to zip up his coat, but Kakashi and Tsunade stopped him.

She stood up and gestured for Kakashi to follow her out of the room. When they were out of the threshold, she stopped the nearest doctor and drew him into the small circle, gesturing to the room that they had just exited.

"The boy in there is very ill. I need an IV drip with antibiotics to treat Neisseria meningitidis and some acetaminophen. Quickly!" The doctor hurried away. Kakashi looked to Tsunade for an explanation in layman's terms. Tsunade turned a worried face to him. "Naruto has meningitis."


	5. Sunset

Naruto turned his stiff head away from the wall, desperately trying to escape the shapes moving in front of his eyes. They looked like pentagons of light in an out of focus photograph – when he opened or closed his eyes, they would grow and reduce in size, scaring him and making him feel even more nauseous than before. He scrunched his face up as best as he could, desperately trying to block them out, but the shapes and the ringing in his ears grew to a frightening level nonetheless.

Kakashi sat by Naruto's bed. He glanced at the simple plastic clock on the wall of the darkened room before standing and walking to the windows. Pushing a hand through the linen, he drew the curtain slightly open, observing the pink sunset.

_Naruto's not getting out of here tonight_, he observed dryly.

Naruto couldn't help but emit a pained groan as he became more frustrated, unable to escape his currently useless head. He rolled onto his side, fighting his churning stomach, and curled into a ball. In a moment of terrible clarity, he watched a bead of sweat roll down his arm, past the cannula.

Kakashi glanced at the boy who had just groaned and watched him roll over and curl up. In the hours that Naruto had been there, his condition had worsened considerably – as Tsunade had explained it would – though he was stable for now. Kakashi watched his student shiver and pulled the curtains back together.

He moved back to his chair by the bed and placed his cool hand on Naruto's bare arms; they were clammy with sweat, as was his face. Naruto pulled his arm away with a jolt.

"'S cold," he said curtly, his low, gruff voice the only noise in the room.

"It isn't, Naruto; you have a temperature." He got up and moved out of the room and into the corridor, walking over to a small thermometer on the wall. "It is, in fact, 21 degrees centigrade," he called.

Expecting a reply, he waited, but was surprised when he heard nothing. Returning to the room, he saw that Naruto had fallen asleep, still curled into the foetal position. Kakashi pulled the blankets at the bottom of the bed over the prone boy's lower legs. Noticing that the rash on his wrist had spread, he picked up a glass from the bedside table and, doing as Tsunade had demonstrated, pressed it to the inflamed skin. The rash did not fade. Kakashi breathed out worriedly before placing the glass back on the table and leaving the room, closing the door gently behind him.


	6. Complications

After reviewing the situation of Naruto's illness, Tsunade concluded that he was a priority and ordered him to be transported two floors up to the top level of the hospital, a short distance away from her office. As they had wheeled Naruto out of the darkened room on the ground floor, he had woken, complaining of the movement.

Kakashi, joining the little troupe in the large hospital lifts, calmly explained to Naruto what was going on, though it did little to ease his distress as the sudden movement of the lift caused him to promptly vomit into the kidney-shaped bowl that the doctor was holding by the prone boy's head. He fell back onto the mattress in a state of utter misery and considerable pain as the lift came to a jolting halt.

Naruto opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, waiting for movement, and was surprised when he felt none. He lifted his head a little, looking around at the doctors and Kakashi, ignoring the sharp pain in his neck. One of the doctors – a tall man with dark hair and darker skin – was worriedly studying the buttons mounted into the wall of the lift.

_Damn this__…_ Naruto thought as he struggled to hear what they were saying over the weight and noise of his own pounding head. He let himself drop back to the pillow with a strangled grunt, scrunching up his eyes. The dots were back. He struggled, once again, with his churning stomach.

The single halogen light in the ceiling of the metallic lift was blaring down at his face. _Doesn't anyone know how to turn off the lights in these places?_ He thought grumpily, turning his head with great difficulty towards Kakashi who still had a hand on the railings of his bed. Kakashi looked down at him and smiled gently.

"How long is this lift ride?" Naruto asked in a quiet, cracked voice. Damn, he was thirsty…

"Naruto – we aren't moving upwards."

"Then, why aren't we going into a ward or something?" Naruto scrunched his eyes up again. He wished that he had the strength to lift his hands and cover his eyes. _Even if I managed that, I wouldn't be able to hold them there_, he thought miserably.

"We seem to be in a bit of a predicament." Kakashi kneeled down beside the bed so that he could speak quietly to Naruto. "The lift doors won't open." Kakashi looked up worriedly at one of the two doctors that also occupied the lift and gestured to the boy in the bed. "Will he be alright? He looks worse than he did earlier."

The doctor that wasn't pressing the lift buttons walked over to the drip stand that was holding a bag of clear liquid. He inspected it worriedly. "The problem, Mr Hatake, is this." He poked the bag. "This is a drip to treat the bacterial infection, only. Naruto's temperature is already too high - if we can't cool him down this could become very dangerous. The bigger problem is, however, that just before we entered this lift, we received the results from Naruto's brain scan which we took earlier." He proffered a piece of paper to Kakashi who took it and studied it. The doctor continued. "Naruto has a lot of inflammation around his brain. This occurred because of the meningitis infection. He needs steroids to reduce it. While we are in here-" he gestured to the walls, '"he isn't going to get what he needs."

Kakashi stood looked back down at Naruto who was feebly trying to lift his arms to cover his eyes. He frowned and gently placed his hands over the ailing boy's heated face. Naruto huffed as the light was dimmed under Kakashi's cool palms. He felt Kakashi's fingers in his hair.


	7. Dusk

The lift walls seemed to be slowly closing in on the small group. Naruto was freezing – he had begun to shiver, his limbs no longer under his control. He didn't understand why he was sweating – he wasn't even sure where he was anymore. Naruto turned and whimpered very quietly. His head felt like a prison; he tried to distract himself by thinking of something… _anything_, but he couldn't focus enough. Surrendering to the dots still swimming in front of his vision, he pressed his face into the pillow.

Kakashi watched Naruto slowly disintegrate through the first half hour of their being trapped in the lift. They were in a bit of a predicament - Kakashi and the medical-nin knew next to nothing about repairing electrics, and were loathe to force open the doors using force in fear of hurting the others in the cramped space. The negligence of the maintenance staff horrified Kakashi and the doctors - they had, upon being contacted, promised to come immediately, but still had not arrived or indeed spoken to the small group since.

It was hot in the metal plated lift and the air was stuffy; unsurprisingly, tensions were high. Kakashi pulled out his well-handled book, Icha Icha Paradise - more for comfort than anything else - and sat down on the floor, facing Naruto's bed. He found though he wasn't actually interested in the words printed on the sordid pages, and instead watched the boy roll over, burying his face into the pillow. He wasn't used to feeling helpless. It unnerved him. He could imagine that Naruto was feeling exactly the same.

The doctors had given up trying to re-programme the lift from the inside. After stripping Naruto down to his boxers to try and keep him cool, they had joined Kakashi on the shiny floor and began to wait. Time seemed to slow to a barely visible crawl. Kakashi shut his book and rested his head against the wall, his silver hair pressed up against the metal. He closed his one visible eye.

Sasuke looked out of the French windows in his little apartment, admiring the silhouettes that the scarce light made against the oddly strewn buildings in Konoha. The people below looked like beetles, the shiny forehead protectors of the ninja glinting off the last of the evening dusk. Sliding the glass doors open, he walked out onto his little balcony and leaned over them, reviewing though his mind his lessons. He methodically worked through his day: waiting, Naruto falling from the tree, sitting under the tree ignoring Sakura, sparring, perfecting his chakra distribution, lunch… Naruto's rashes and his slumped body over Kakashi's back.

Sasuke frowned downwards, tracing the paving on the floor of his balcony with the tip of his sandal. He flipped his head in the direction of the hospital, contemplating a possible visit. _Che. Dobe_, he thought. Jumping up, he landed on the thin bars of his balcony, his shoulders slumped back. He sprang towards Konoha Hospital.

Naruto lay there, half awake, half delirious. He had surrendered to the fact that the lights weren't about to be turned off anytime soon, and so instead just tried to block out as much as he could. His head felt like it was being ripped apart; he felt awful, he ached and he was freezing. Rolling painfully to his left and curling up to try and keep warm, he noticed Kakashi and the two medics on the floor.

"How long… have we been here?" It took Naruto a while to formulate the words. His mind seemed to be fuggy. The doctor looked at his watch.

"An hour and 10 minutes." The doctor stood and moved around the bed to check Naruto's drip bag. Looking down at the ailing boy, he huffed worriedly. He went through the procedure of checking his lucidity. "Naruto, do you know where you are?"

"Hospital?"

"What day is it today?"

"Um… Thurs…day?"

"Who is the Hokage?"

Naruto frowned, frustrated. He grumbled and looked away from the doctor.

The doctor smiled reassuringly. "That's alright. I'm sure it'll come back."

Naruto glanced back to the man, who was studying him. The boy's face was pale, his eyes bloodshot. His skin was sallow with illness and his expressions were tinged with pain. He looked a little confused regarding his surroundings and why he was there.

"Go to sleep, Naruto." The doctor placed his hand on the boy's clammy head. He was worryingly hot.

Naruto closed his eyes and the medical ninja lifted his hand off his forehead. He watched as Naruto's expression relaxed and then grew grotesque. His muscled chest tensed, his teeth clenched. The doctor watched in disbelief as Naruto crumbled into a seizure, his limbs convulsing and jerking erratically. The other doctor jumped up and helped to place Naruto in the recovery position, speaking calmly to the shuddering boy.

Kakashi stood, fear etched onto his face as he saw his poor student jerk and twitch on the hard hospital mattress. "Naruto!" He joined the two medics around him and caught Naruto's hand in his own. It was extremely unnerving to see such a strong ninja so stricken by an illness. He squeezed Naruto's clenching and unclenching hand and joined the doctor in his reassurances that "Everything's alright."

Kakashi could blatantly see that it wasn't.


	8. Challenge

Naruto felt himself drifting away from his convulsing body. He felt distant, like the seizure was pouring his conscience out of his chest. He tasted the metallic tang of blood and his limbs burned. _I'm dying! Oh, God! I'm dying! _His panicked mind screamed. It felt like he was in a dream world – a terrifying, grotesque apparition that haunted his very soul, only connected to his body by a thin, spidery thread that was pain. The shadows around his mind closed in, engulfing him swiftly and silently.

After what seemed like hours to Kakashi, Naruto's body stopped convulsing. His features relaxed and he took a long breath out. Kakashi knelt down to get himself level with his student. Naruto's eyes were half lidded; he seemed vacant, like his soul had gone for a stroll without his body. Kakashi watched as Naruto closed his eyes, his head sinking further into the pillow. A bead of sweat rolled down his face, creating a shining trail over his cheekbones and pooling at his lips. To Kakashi's relief, he was breathing normally, albeit shallowly.

Kakashi looked up to see the two doctors hurriedly checking his vitals; one had his finger over Naruto's jugular and the other was checking his temperature with a small test strip that he had placed on the boy's forehead. He frowned and pursed his lips when the 42°C box filed with colour.

"We have to get Naruto out now. His temperature is dangerously high. If it gets any higher, it'll kill him! We also cannot risk another seizure."

Sasuke stepped into the quiet, well-lit lobby of Konoha hospital. A receptionist was at the desk, typing a number rapidly into a white phone. He unhurriedly walked over to the woman, though faltered when she saw her expression; it was tense and frustrated. She lifted the phone to her ear, her fingernails tapping a fast rhythm on the desk. Sasuke counted the 5 ring tones in his head. Upon reaching 5, the receptionist growled and ran her fingers through her hair before plunging the phone back on the hook. She looked up and smiled at the young ninja.

"Sorry about that. Who are you here to see?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

The receptionist balked. "Naruto can't be seen at the moment."

Sasuke frowned. "Why did your expression change when I mentioned Naruto? What's going on? Why can't I see him?"

The receptionist looked towards him worriedly, sighed and began. "You can't see Naruto. He is trapped in the 3rd lift shaft with 2 of our head doctors and Hatake Kakashi just below the third floor doorway. As we have no communication, we don't know Naruto's state, though observations from other doctors and Tsunade herself have left us in the conclusion that, whatever state of health Naruto is in, it will be critical. We can't get the lift functioning without maintenance and we don't want to use destructive moves to break in in fear of either breaking the lift cables or hurting the people inside. I shouldn't have told you that, but I know that you are on Naruto's team… Don't do anything!" The receptionist looked up from the desk, having turned her head towards it while describing the situation.

To her dismay, Sasuke was already gone.

Kakashi turned to the two men in the lift. "Is anyone here an Earth Release user?"

"Me." The darker-skinned doctor raised his hand.

Kakashi smiled. "Use Doton: Tsuchi Douyou no Hira on the ceiling."

The doctor's eyes widened. "That'll destroy the whole ceiling! It'll crush us!"

"No, it won't. Your medical ninjutsu requires you to have expert precision, so I don't see why it doesn't extend to other jutsu that you may possess the skills for. Focus on the ceiling to pinpoint precision; we cannot risk compromising the pulley ropes."

The doctor nodded. He turned towards Naruto and gently curled the unconscious boy's legs upwards to leave a space at the end of the bed. Kneeling onto the mattress, he shaped the Hand Sign of the Snake before placing his hands tentatively on the ceiling. With silent precision, he began to cut through the metal.

Hello! This is just a short note - In most lifts, there is no exit door in the ceiling, as it is usually deemed safer to stay inside.

This is why I haven't put one in :)


	9. Execution

Sasuke reached the top of the hospital stairs and stopped to lean over the metal barrier. He looked downwards at the glossy cream wall. _Somewhere between the lower landing and here is the lift,_ Sasuke thought. _That secretary said that Naruto is in a bad way; I don't know about Kakashi or the doctors._ He walked out of the double doors to the hospital corridor and sat down on a metal bench that was bolted to the wall.

Hunching over, he rested his elbows on his knees and his chin on his clasped hands. Looking over to the metal doors of the lift, he spotted Tsunade leaning against the wall opposite while a doctor stood in front of the lift doors, waving away people who came close. Sasuke got up and walked over to her purposefully, ignoring the doctor who protested violently to his approach.

He stood in front of Tsunade. "Hokage. What is the condition of Naruto?"

"He can't be seen. Leave!"

'I know that he is in the lift. I know that he is in there with Kakashi and two medical ninjas and that they are stranded somewhere between the second and third floor. I know that none of your destructive moves are useful as it could cause debris to fall and hurt the people inside. You are thinking of a way to rescue them, as am I."

Tsunade looked horrified. "Who told you?!"

"The secretary and my own intuition. Have you contacted anyone yet?"

Tsunade walked over to the metal bench and sat down, Sasuke joining her. "No. We have no idea of the condition of any of the people inside that lift. We also don't know if they are attempting to escape - if they are, any movements we make may jeopardise their escape."

Sasuke frowned and rested his chin on his clasped hands. 'Well, we could get the lift doors open, at least!"

Kakashi, upon realising what was about to happen, bolted forward and yanked an unconscious Naruto off the hospital bed. The doctor standing with his palms on the ceiling flinched and a sharp piece of metal fell from the ceiling, showering the bed with debris. The group had found there was a layer of thick plasterboard between the 2 pieces of metal that made up the ceiling. The lift was cloudy with dust and the air was saturated.

Kakashi and the other doctor moved Naruto on to Kakashi's back and pulled the now-very dusty IV drip stand closer towards the two. Looking up, Kakashi watched the doctor as he once again braced himself and closed his eyes before releasing a more powerful jutsu on to the growing indentation in the ceiling. Another shower of debris scattered the floor of the lift, and the doctor coughed.

Noticing this, the doctor tending to Naruto took the boy's discarded black shirt and ripped a wide square off of it which he handed to the medical ninja on the bed who tied it around his face. Proceeding to rip off two more squares for himself and Naruto, he folded it into a triangle and tied it around Naruto's mouth and nose before doing it, himself.

Kakashi spoke. "How are we doing?"

The doctor looked down. "I'm through, but I need to widen the hole."

Kakashi nodded and shifted his unconscious student further up his shoulders. Naruto hummed a little, his eyes moving under his eyelids. The doctor next to Kakashi put the temperature strip back onto Naruto's forehead. Reading the result, he turned to his companion. "He's dangerously hot!"

The medical ninja turned away from the ceiling. "Alright, I'm just going to blast it. Move to the corners!"

Kakashi shifted backwards, pressing Naruto's back to a wall. The doctor moved to the opposite corner. They both nodded and the doctor on the bed pressed both of his hands around the cavern in the ceiling. Muttering the words needed, he pressed. A metallic screech reverberated upwards, and then the sickening sound of the huge metal cords slowly snapping. Kakashi's whole body filled with dread. The light in the ceiling flickered off, and they were plunged into blackness.

The three ninjas braced themselves as the whole lift jerked and plummeted downwards. Kakashi only had a moment to register he was in free fall, the sound of someone's screams echoing around him, before the lift hit the bottom of the shaft hard, the metal folding like paper.


	10. Excavation

A deep rolling sound echoed from above the small group in the collapsed lift. Kakashi had been thrown forwards when the lift hit the ground, barely holding on to the boy slumped over his back as he crashed into the opposite wall head first. He dazedly squinted through the dark at his student. Naruto was awake; his eyes only opened a crack, a bleary, confused expression on his face. He was covered in dust, and small pieces of plaster were scattered through his spiked yellow locks. Kakashi suspected that he and everybody in the lift looked the same – a dusty shade of white.

"Naruto," Kakashi said quietly. Naruto closed his eyes again.

Kakashi could hear the two doctors on the other side of the destroyed lift begin to shift and the sound of groaning filled the crumpled shaft. As his eyes became used to the gloom, he saw the two medical ninjas assessing their injuries and detaching themselves from the bent and broken metal. One cried out and fell back as he tried to stand. Shifting, he began to do the same, gently depositing Naruto against the bent wall and easing himself into a sitting position.

Another boom sounded, this time, more jarring. As he checked Naruto over, Kakashi felt something wet run into his eye. He swiped at it. The blood on his fingers looked black in the darkness of the lift. He tentatively reached up and explored the wound just above his eyebrow before moving over to the injured doctor who still had one leg stuck fast. The other was already inspecting the damage as best as he could and the two were discussing the pain quietly.

"It's broken," the doctor forced out, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood as the first doctor gently pulled upwards on the leg which had been caught between two pieces of crumpled metal. "And stuck," he added solemnly. Kakashi glanced over to Naruto against the wall next to the trapped doctor and proceeded to join in the effort to try and extract his broken leg. A deep boom sounded above.

Tsunade and Sasuke had heard the sound of the ropes snapping and the rolling crash which had reverberated through the entire hospital when the shaft had hit the ground. They had both immediately sprung into action and dashed down to the second floor. Tsunade punched the door again, yet it only bent in further. "This isn't working. The door will give way and fall inwards."

Sasuke frowned. "We will try something else, then." He pushed Tsunade out of the way and gestured for her to move down the hall. As she did so, he began to make Hand Signs. Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief as he spoke. 'Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!'

"No! They'll die!" she screamed as a great jet of fire erupted from Sasuke's mouth. Tsunade threw up an arm in defence against the blinding heat. The temperature in the hallway shot up, little heat waves rippling in front of Tsunade's eyes. She reluctantly lowered her arm, turning her gaze back on the lift door. It was beginning to glow red, the dented centre already a strong yellow. Tsunade could do nothing but watch as Sasuke continued to direct superheated fire at the lift doors.

The four ninjas stuck inside the lift shaft heard it before they felt it. Just as they managed to free the trapped doctor, a deafening roaring sound echoed off the thick concrete walls above them. The temperature began to rise in the tiny shaft, quickly passing comfortable levels. Kakashi pulled Naruto away from the edges of the lift shaft, off the now-scorching metal. The two doctors helped deposit him onto Kakashi's back once again.

As he was shifted, he awoke and began to struggle. "No! No!" Kakashi held his legs and the mobile doctor restrained his arms. "No! Let me go! Let me GO!" The three ninjas watched in utter horror as Naruto's cerulean blue eyes, clouded with delirium, turned a nightmarish shade of red.


	11. Removal

Sweat rolled down Kakashi's face as he hastily dropped Naruto off his back and retreated away from the boy. He and the doctors clung as close as they could to the scorching hot wall, watching as one bubbling, hissing, orange tail grew from the shroud of chakra surrounding Naruto. The heat in the lift shaft was unbearable; it made it feel like even the air was on fire.

Kakashi watched Naruto as the boy came to settle in the centre of the lift, his clawed fingers clenched against the rubble, his breath ragged, his eyes focused directly on him. The roaring sound above became even louder and the doors of the lift some 10ft above them began to glow from red, to yellow, to white.

A more animalistic roar sounded right in front of Kakashi. He flicked his eyes down and sprang sideways, just missing the chakra claw which now powered into the hot metal. Naruto turned his blood red eyes to Kakashi and roared again, the loud, feral sound scraping against his ears. He sprang left again as another chakra hand shot out towards him, narrowly missing his torso.

_What the hell do I do?!_ he thought desperately, creating Shadow Clones to try to stall Naruto. It did not perturb the monster as, once again, he aimed directly at Kakashi. He dodged another attack, ending up in a corner of the lift, a direct target for Naruto. He watched in horror as another tail grew from the bubbling mass around his student. We have to knock him out! he thought as he quickly glanced up at the glowing lift doors.

He saw his mistake as soon has he refocused on Naruto. The Kyūbi sprang at him, wrapping both his real and chakra hands around his waist. The pain was unbearable; Kakashi screamed and writhed as his skin burned horribly. He opened his clenched eyes to see the able doctor spring into action, bringing out a kunai and throwing it; watching as it sank into Naruto's arm, making him drop Kakashi.

Naruto roared again, turning on the doctor, but Kakashi grabbed a large piece of metal and slammed it over the boy's head. He crumpled to the ground, out cold as Kakashi fell beside him, succumbing to the unbearable pain around his waist. The roaring sound stopped.

Tsunade had kicked Sasuke. He flew sideways, slamming against the wall at the end of the corridor. Snarling, Sasuke sprang up. "What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Tsunade shouted, her face twisted with rage. "They'll die in the heat down there! If you think that using a showy technique like that would save the day, then you were tragically mistaken. How dare you further risk the lives of the people in that lift shaft?! How dare you use a technique in my hospital without my permission?! How da- ?!" She stopped mid-sentence. "Get a Water Release user here, quickly!" she shouted down the corridor. The medical ninja blocking the doorway approached.

"I'm a Water Release user," he said, standing to attention.

"Cool it!" she said, pointing at the still-glowing door. "Supercool it now!"

The doctor ran forwards, making Hand Signs as he did so. Positioning himself directly at the door, he shouted "Suiton: Suiryūdan no jutsu!" A great dragon of water appeared, its translucent body rippling, before he sent it directly at the door. Steam billowed down the corridor, blinding the occupants, but instantly cooling the room. Tsunade ran forwards and touched to door; it was cold.

She nodded at the doctor who stood back, vanishing into the thick, steamy mist before she readied an attack. Building up her chakra, she punched the dented door. It shattered instantly. Sasuke appeared along with the doctor and the three peered down into the black lift shaft. What they saw was absolute chaos.

Naruto was sprawled in the centre of the crumpled lift, his skin torn, his breathing ragged. Kakashi was no better; a great burn drew a ring around his waist, and he was barely conscious. One of the doctors who had been tending to the two looked up and grinned as he saw the three heads in the doorway. The other doctor, leaning against the lift shaft, his leg trapped, called out quietly.

"We are all alive… some more than others…" he gestured to the two in the middle of the space. "Please get us out," he finished, his voice wavering.

Tsunade, Sasuke and the doctor jumped down into the shaft. Rubble shifted under their feet as they landed. Sasuke began to extract the trapped doctor while Tsunade and the two medical ninjas tended to the others. A blue dome of light glowed under Tsunade's hands as she healed the torn skin on Naruto's body.

"Explain what happened thoroughly later," she said curtly to the two doctors who had been trapped. They both nodded solemnly. Two more domes appeared over Kakashi's middle as the doctors began work.

For those who asked (and, of course, for those who are curious), meningitis is a disease caused by a bacteria or virus. It is contagious and can most easily be spread this way both through animals (rarely) and people; however it can also occur as a complication from injury or illness. It is most common in children, though it is also seen in teenagers, much Like Naruto here. The viral meningitis is a lot less serious and often doesn't need hospital treatment. The bacterial kind, however, is extremely dangerous and can kill in a matter of hours. As most adults over 25 have immunity to the disease, the cases are often isolated (and this explains why nobody else has caught it in the story).

There are many symptoms of meningitis, most of which I have picked up on in the story. If you would like to know more, I recommend this website: www . meningitis . org (take out the spaces).


	12. Escape

A wooden stretcher – two poles and a piece of canvas - was lowered down into the lift shaft on a rope. Tsunade caught it and guided it slowly down to the floor next to Naruto and the doctor. The able bodied doctors gently picked Naruto up and quickly moved him to the left on top of the canvas. Tsunade signalled and the stretcher was lifted upwards, swinging slightly as it was lifted to the doors and dragged into the corridor.

Kakashi, now fully coherent, heard doctors talking quickly, a "3, 2, 1, lift!", the sound of running footsteps and the squeaky wheel of a hospital bed that needed a little oil. Touching his eyebrow gently, he lifted his hand away and studied the red on his fingers. It was such a deep colour, so full of life and yet so haunting. Moving gingerly over to the wall of the lift, he wondered what it looked like against his white hair and pale skin. Tsunade walked over, having supervised the removal of the doctor with the broken leg and knelt down in front of him. She brushed Kakashi's dusty, sweaty hair away from his eyebrow and studied the wound.

"Didn't expect this when I got into that lift," he smiled weakly and slumped downwards, finally letting his exhaustion show.

"Can you climb?" Tsunade asked.

Kakashi nodded and got to his feet. Focussing his remaining chakra in his feet, he jumped and landed neatly in the doorway. He breathed in fresh air for the first time in hours and felt his knees buckle – reaching for the wall, he hit a strong arm instead. Tsunade helped him to an empty room.

A flurry of movement surrounded the struggling Naruto on the bed in intensive care. Drips ran from both of his arms, domes of blue-green light fixed his torn skin and monitors bleeped over the sound of doctors chattering to each other. Pushing the curtain aside, Tsunade walked in. She studied Naruto and blanched at what she saw. He was breathing heavily; sweat rolled down his face and his brow was furrowed.

One of the doctors left the group and joined Tsunade. "He's not looking too good. His temperature is unbelievably high and we are very worried about the amount of swelling around his brain. He is in no condition to go for a scan, though, so we can't be sure."

Tsunade nodded and walked over to Naruto. "One good thing about that fox is that he heals well…" she said, checking his skin and the drip ports. "Keep him under observation. Don't cover him up at all." The doctors nodded.

Sasuke sat in the corner of Kakashi's room. He studied his teacher; nurse had bathed his face and he had a large dressing above one eyebrow. His hair, however, was dirty and left evidence to the heat that they had experienced while stuck in the lift. Sasuke felt a twang of guilt; his jutsu, while saving them, had caused more damage than he could have imagined. He got up and walked to the seat next to Kakashi's bed. Settling himself down, he stared out of the window. The morning sun shone through, bathing the room in a warm, welcoming light. It was going to be hot again. Sasuke admired the cloudless sky.

_The worst is over_, he thought wistfully.

Kakashi opened his eyes blearily. As the room came into focus, he noticed Sasuke sitting by his bed, staring out of the window. He looked as if he was in another world; all of the pain and grief that usually haunted his face had vanished, leaving behind a stark contrast to his normal expressions. Sasuke, to Kakashi's amazement, looked at peace.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said quietly.

Sasuke stiffened; sharply inhaling, he looked down. "Oh. You're awake." His face had returned to its brooding stoniness once again.

Kakashi smiled inwardly. He wondered if anyone else had ever seen Sasuke that off guard before and highly doubted it. "How long have I been asleep?" he said, touching the dressing on his forehead.

"A while," Sasuke replied. Kakashi opened his mouth, but Sasuke cut him off. "I don't know about Naruto. Tsunade won't let anyone see him." He looked down at Kakashi. "You need a shower."

"Probably!" Kakashi replied, laughing. Sasuke smirked and handed him a towel that had been folded over the end of his bed. Easing himself up, Kakashi took it, before getting up and leaving the room. Stopping, he poked his head around the doorway. "Sasuke, get me some spare clothes from my flat, please. My bedroom window is open." Sasuke smirked again, and darted out of the hospital window.


	13. Remission

Kakashi turned his face up to the shower head, closing his eyes and letting the hot water run over his face. He ran his fingers through his silver hair, sighing. Pressing the knob of the shower, he turned off the water and stepped out of the cubicle into his little bathroom, grabbing a white towel off the rail and wrapping it around his waist.

Stepping in front of the mirror over the sink, his eyes fell to the damp bandages wrapped around his midriff. Peeling them off proved painful as the steamed air of the bathroom hit the raw burns Naruto had given him in Kyuubi mode. The raw skin was red and shiny – even Tsunade's healing could not completely reverse the effects of the demon chakra. Kakashi couldn't even begin to imagine the pain Naruto must feel when the fox took over. If his raw waist hurt this much, then how would it feel to be covered in the burning stuff? He grimaced at the thought.

Kakashi finished towelling himself off, and stepped into the carpeted hallway of his flat. Kakashi's house was very clean and tidy, decorated in calming, neutral tones, and simply furnished. Kakashi turned left and padded into the kitchen, his feet sticking a little to the polished tiled floor. His kitchen was a simple affair, with light beech cabinets and white units. A metal bowl of fruit stood next to the sink, and a row of mugs was hung up on the wall by a series of hooks. He picked up an apple and opened one of the cupboards, pulling out a large box full of medical supplies. Taking both to the living room, he slumped down on the sofa, turned on the television and began to re-dress his wounds.

Sasuke sat by Naruto's bed in the hospital. Naruto was laying there, his face pale and drawn, drips in his arms and an oxygen tube in his nose. He was breathing shallowly in his sleep, his blonde eyelashes crusty. A nurse had washed his hair; his golden spikes translucent in the hazy light coming from the window. Sasuke turned and looked at the cards by his bed. Picking one up, he looked with distaste at the illustration of a cat with a bandaged paw. He opened it and read the scrawled words inside:

_Get well soon Naruto! From Konohamaru!_

Underneath was a little drawing of himself and Naruto practicing the Rasengan. Sasuke smirked and closed the card, returning it to the bedside table. He skimmed over the others before sliding down in his chair, his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes, wondering how many cards he would have got in the same position… _I definitely would have got one from Dobe and Sakura_, he thought assuredly.

The first thing Naruto felt was warmth on his face, and light behind his eyelids. As he slowly worked his semi-conscious mind awake, he observed he was in a bed, it was daytime, and he felt awful. In fact, the more awake he felt, the worse it got. Naruto turned his head tentatively, not wanting to open his eyes. The slow memories of his recent experiences trickled back to him as he cracked his eyes open. The room was blurred and his whole body hurt. He felt sick and tired, but worst of all, he felt _weak_.

'Naruto?' A low voice asked quietly. He didn't feel like he had the power to answer. Opening his eyes a little further, the blurry, dark shape of Sasuke materialised.

'Sas...' Naruto mumbled, but before he could say anything else, he had drifted into sleep.


	14. Tea

The plastic clock on the wall opposite Naruto's bed ticked softly in the quiet room, lulling the ailing boy propped up with cushions on the bed. Turning his head, Naruto gazed out at the tree in front of his window. The leaves were refreshing shades of green and yellow, contrasting the deep brown bark on the branches. A tiny sparrow was perched precariously on a knoll. It leaned precariously forward as it spread its wings and took off, shaking the leaves.

Naruto chuckled quietly. In fact, that was the loudest he could go, his voice having seemingly escaped him for the time he had been awake. He didn't really mind. It was nice just to sit and watch the world go by. He insisted on keeping his ward door open to let in the sound of the hospital; if there was one thing he could not stand, it was silence. Naruto sank a little lower into his pillows, careful not to dislodge the cannulas - that hurt – he had learned the hard way. Carefully lifting the oxygen tubes still attached to his nose, he slid his arms underneath before settling himself lower. Reaching behind his head, he yanked a few pillows out and slung them unceremoniously to the floor. Finally settled, he closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. One of his bright yellow bangs flopped over his face.

Tsunade rapped the door with her knuckle before peering round into the room. Naruto was asleep, snoring gently, his mouth open. Pillows were scattered over the floor and the window was ajar, letting in the summer breeze. Tsunade walked over, picking up the pillows and placing them on the table at the bottom of his bed. Moving up to Naruto, she examined his face, the drip bags and the oxygen. She placed her hand on his forehead. _Still a little hot_, she thought, and folded down his covers a little to reveal his bandaged arms and chest. He looked thin, though it was to be expected. He hadn't managed to keep any food or water down since he had woken up a week ago. The nutrient drip was keeping him hydrated, but it would by no means make him fat.

Taking the small clipboard attached to the bottom of his bed, she jotted down his condition. Clipping it back to the rung of the bed frame, she looked fondly at the sleeping boy before leaving him to check up on her other patients. I_'ll try him on some food next time he's awake_, she thought, her sandaled feet tapping on the polished floor.

Kakashi lifted the letterbox flap with his thumb and let it fall back with a _clack_. Repeating it a few more times, he stepped back and waited. The door swung inwards, revealing a bored looking Sasuke. 'Hello!' Kakashi chirped, lifting a hand up in greeting.

'Hi.' Sasuke swung the door open further and stepped out of the way, allowing Kakashi in. Kakashi stepped over the threshold into the little hallway and Sasuke shut the door behind him. They both walked into his small, open plan living room. Sasuke's house, like Kakashi's, was tidy, but smaller. Continuing into the kitchen, Sasuke flipped on the kettle and pulled out two mugs from a cupboard. Opening a glass jar, he pulled out two teabags and dropped them into the mugs. Kakashi flopped down onto the sofa and pulled a cushion onto his lap. He watched Sasuke loiter in the kitchen, waiting for the kettle.

'How is Naruto?' Sasuke asked, focusing on Kakashi. 'You saw him today didn't you?'

Kakashi nodded. 'He is the same. Still can't eat. Still can't get out of bed. Still obscenely cheerful. I opened the window for him.'

'Hn.' Sasuke poured hot water into the two mugs, allowing the tea to stew before taking them out. He opened the fridge and pulled out a pint of milk, flipped the foil cap off the top and poured it into the tea, stirring, and bringing the two mugs to the sofa and handing one to Kakashi, who smiled and took it. Sasuke plopped down next to Kakashi and leaned forward, placing the mug on the coffee table. He leaned back into the sofa. 'How long will he be out of action?'

'Meningitis is serious. He won't be on missions for a good few months… but then this is Naruto we are talking about. I'd say that even with his healing abilities, he will be unwell for a month at the least.'

'So team 7 is on an impromptu holiday.'

Kakashi smiled. 'Indeed! When Naruto is a little better we should go to a hot spring.'

'Fine.' Sasuke smirked into his mug.

The conversation drifted off into daily life and meaningless small talk. Teacher and Student sipped tea together, enjoying each other's company in a rare moment of tranquillity. The day stretched onwards into evening, and the summer sky turned a serene shade of pink and orange. Kakashi put down his now empty mug and glanced at the small desk clock on the windowsill, before getting up. 'Evening visiting time - want to come?' Sasuke smirked, then stood.


	15. Freedom

Naruto sat at the side of the bed, legs hanging off the mattress. A plate with a blue ring around the edge was balanced on his lap, and sat in the middle of it was a plain slice of toast, missing one bite. Tsunade sat in the chair by his bed, watching him struggle to eat, the discomfort etched on his normally cheerful face. He swallowed slowly and took a sip of very weak squash from a plastic beaker on his bedside table. He had done this too many times to argue that he didn't want food. Better to get it over with. Grimacing, Naruto lifted the dry slice of toast and took a small bite, chewed, swallowed and repeated, until the plate was empty apart from a few crumbs. Tsunade smiled. 'Well done, Naruto. How do you feel?'

'Sick.' He grunted.

'It's to be expected. I have work to do. You know what to do if you vomit.'

Naruto nodded, and Tsunade got up. With one glance back at the thin boy sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, she left the room. Naruto tugged at the bottom of his black T-Shirt. Sakura had brought it over with some shorts soon as he could sit himself up in bed – it made the hospital environment a little less daunting. Smiling, he shifted himself a little further forward so his feet touched the cold floor and braced an arm on the bedside table. He leaned heavily on the table and stood before straightening up, wobbling slightly. Grinning at his triumph, he grabbed the drip stand, and used it as a makeshift walking stick as he tentatively padded towards the door to his room. His bare feet soon fell cold, but he didn't care.

_Hehe_, he thought. _I beat what the old hag said!_

Reaching the door, he peered into the hallway; finding it empty, he slowly set off down the corridor, his free hand trailing the wall. Hearing footsteps, he quickened his pace and hid around a corner, hiding from two medical-nin chatting animatedly. They passed without spotting him; laughing deviously, Naruto set off again. He had no idea where he was going, he just wanted to go somewhere. Being cooped up in that little room was driving him stir-crazy. Turning left into a main hallway, he shuffled off, following a red line on the floor, which eventually led him to a waiting room filled with women at various stages of pregnancy - one woman, spotting him, smiled and waved, rubbing her swollen belly. Naruto flashed her a beaming grin and continued onwards in his little secret adventure, newly motivated.

Coming to the closed off corridor which once housed the lifts, Naruto peered over the black and yellow tape, head craning on order to see the destruction he had caused. He felt his face redden as he saw the remains of the destroyed lift. The mess had been swept up and the floor mopped, but a broken cavern now stood where the lift once did, with bent pieces of metal folded inwards on the black space. Turning away, Naruto continued his wanderings, his bare feet patting on the polished floor. Stopping and leaning heavily on his drip stand, he looked up and studied the little signs that directed patients around the hospital. He was still on the third floor. _Downstairs_, he told himself, and set off towards the other set of lifts on the opposite side of the floor, hiding from passing doctors and nurses. He observed he had probably been out of bed for at least 15 minutes. Pondering excitedly what would happen if somebody discovered him to be missing, he stepped into the opening lift doors and pressed the button for the ground floor. The lift jolted on the way down, making him nervous, but they stopped with a resounding ping, and the doors slid open. Stepping out, he grinned and made his way to the emergency waiting room.

The noise and bustle of the busy room sent a thrill through Naruto. Scanning the chaos happily from his corner, he watched doctors and nurses alike tend to patients: ninjas fresh from missions, children with red faces from crying, pensioners and frail looking men and women who leaned heavily into their chairs. Friends and relatives in various states of concern finished off the scene with a chaotic flourish. Naruto's eyes drank in the fast paced turnover of patients; a smile playing upon his lips as he finally felt part of the world again. His weariness was catching up on him however. After scanning for any seats hidden away from the eagle eyed doctors and nurses, he shuffled off round a corner and sat on a padded chair out of view. He let go of his drip stand and relaxed, noticing mutely that his hands were trembling.

The adrenaline gained from sneaking around slowly trickled out of Naruto's system and with each passing minute, he felt worse. Clutching the drip stand, he bent forwards, curling up as much as he could over his knees and fought the waves of sickness, his feet cold against the floor. _Too far Naruto; you can't even drag yourself back to bed now you dobe!_ He scolded himself, hunching ever further over as the cold crept up his limbs. His trembling had progressed into a visible shake, limiting his movements and weakening his dexterity as he clumsily tightened his grip in the metal pole of the stand, the liquid inside the bag vibrating with each spasm of his arm.

Kakashi stepped over the threshold into the main entrance of the hospital. He sauntered up to the desk, smiling at the nurse behind it. She greeted Kakashi pleasantly and directed him to the stairs to the third floor which he took, thanking her. Fishing his hand into his pocket, he pulled out a gift for Naruto. It was a small piece of glossy card – nothing exciting to Kakashi, though he knew Naruto would practically scream when he got it. He flipped it over and examined the little logo, before reading the inscription.

_This voucher entitles the holder to one free bowl of ramen at Ichiraku's._

Underneath was scribbled a note:

_Get well soon Naruto – I'm sure these will aid in a swift recovery! - Teuchi_

Kakashi's pocket held a total of 7 cards, all inscribed with the same note. He smiled at the card before sliding it back into his pocket and continuing down the corridor to Naruto's room._ If anything will make him better faster it will be the promise of free ramen when he's discharged,_ he thought jovially. Pushing the door of Naruto's room open, he poked his head round the door, expecting to see either the smiling or sleeping face of his student. What he was presented with was an empty ward room, the bedclothes in a crumpled pile on the floor and an empty plate on the bedside table. Kakashi's eyebrows rose in alarm before he turned on his heel, pulled the door ajar and set a brisk pace towards Tsunade's office. Knocking, he didn't wait for an answer and pushed the door open, his eyes making contact with a gruff looking Hokage surrounded by papers and documents in green card folders. 'Why are you here?' she asked sternly, placing her pen on the desk and lacing her hands together under her chin, scowling at him.

Kakashi bowed apologetically before straightening up to full height and making eye contact. 'Can Naruto move around the hospital without help yet?'

'No, he still needs help to get to the toilet down the hall.'

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her. 'Are you sure?' Tsunade nodded before sighing frustratedly.

'What has he said to you this time? He keeps asking to be 'freed' as he calls it – he knows I can't do that… he can't even-' Kakashi cut her off.

'He's not in his room.'

Tsunade stood immediately and walked into the hallway, grabbing the first doctor that passed. Instructing him to gather all the disposable doctors and nurses, she set him to the task of divvying them between the floors to hunt for the missing boy. Turning to Kakashi who had stood to attention, she said 'I want you to go to the ground floor and search with the doctors there. You will find them gathered by the desk at the entrance. Go.'

Kakashi nodded, walked to the window and sprung out of it, reaching the ground in a matter of seconds. He landed gracefully and set off to the meeting place. The doctors were already gathered there, waiting for him. On his arrival, one took charge and began to separate the group into various sections of the ground floor. Upon designation, they scattered, quickly moving throughout the hospital to their areas of search. Kakashi darted off to the X-Ray department, dodging patients and equipment. He reached the area, and began to scan the hallways, opening every unlocked door and hunting thoroughly. Opening another door, he flipped on the light and checked the room, finding nothing. _That was the last room,_ he thought, worried. Resolving to check them again, he shut the door and turned back up the corridor, before stopping dead. Craning his ears, he picked up the sound again: the achingly slow patting of feet, the rustle of cotton, the quiet squeak of a portable drip stand… Naruto.

He whipped his head around in time to see a hand clutch shakily at the corner of a wall at the end of an adjoining hallway, followed the shaking figure of his student. His face was flushed, his bare feet slightly grey from cold, body frail and thin. Kakashi jogged to him, taking his arm and leading him slowly to a seat bolted to the wall in the corridor. Naruto slumped into it, his head drooping forward, still clutching the drip stand tightly. Kakashi crouched down in front of him, looking intently into his tired, cerulean eyes.

'Naruto, how did you get here!?'

Naruto chuckled weakly, before replying hoarsely in a low voice. 'I walked.' His cheeks were reddened, the rest of his face sallow. Kakashi placed a hand on his forehead. Sighing at the heat radiating from the boy, he flicked Naruto on the shoulder in punishment.

'Why did you do that?'

'Sick of room. Wanted… out.'

'You have been walking all this time?'

'No…' Naruto gestured to where he had come. Kakashi got up and turned towards the corridor, noticing as he did the small puddle of vomit being mopped up by a cleaner. He turned back to Naruto.

'Still can't keep food down then. Can you walk?' Naruto hunched inwards a little more, staring at his shaking knees, his face twisting slightly as he shook his head. He pulled his drip stand closer to him. Kakashi bent over him and slipped one arm under his knees, the other bracing his back and lifted him up. Unhooking the bag from the stand, he placed it in Naruto's lap. Naruto swung an arm around his neck and clutched the bag with the other. Kakashi set off, noting as he did so that Naruto was considerably lighter than when he had carried him to the hospital the first time.


	16. Capture

Kakashi placed Naruto gently on the bed back in his room. Tsunade, who was standing on the other side, pulled the bedcovers over him. Naruto sheepishly hid his face in the thick pillows as Tsunade caught his eye, rolling away from her. Tsunade sighed, exasperated. 'No point sulking, Naruto. You getting out of bed means you will be _in here_' - she poked the pillow - 'longer.' Naruto ignored her sulkily. Kakashi shook his head, mirth behind his one visible eye. The two adults left the ward room, Tsunade shutting the door loudly to make her point. They stood in the hallway outside, Tsunade keeping an eye on the boy in the bed through the window set into the door. She sighed. 'I knew this would happen. He's too active for his own good sometimes...' Kakashi chuckled lightly.

'I know, and he knows it too.'

'Exactly. I'll keep a _much _closer eye on him from now on. I didn't think he could manage to get to the toilet alone yet, let alone go on a secret escapade! How none of the doctors saw him I'll never know.' She shook her head and started down to corridor, Kakashi alongside her. Stopping every now and then to enter certain rooms and check their occupants, the two made their way towards her office. Upon reaching it, Kakashi settled himself down on the squashy armchair in the corner, and Tsunade sat in the chair behind her desk. Elbows on the desk, she cradled her temples with the tips of her fingers. 'Why do my patients insist on making life harder for me…'

Kakashi smiled wryly. 'It's their nature.' Tsunade huffed, a smirk on her face.

'Indeed.'

Sasuke pushed open the door to Naruto's ward room. Naruto was lying on his back, his head cradled thickly by puffy pillows, his body covered up to the chest by white bedcovers. His face looked drawn, sallow, _ill._ Surprised by such a drastic change from yesterday, Sasuke stood over Naruto, peering at him. Naruto cracked open an eye. 'What?' he asked croakily.

'What happened? You were practically jumping out of the window yesterday dobe,' Sasuke smirked.

Naruto looked away from Sasuke, studying the flecked floor coverings. 'I… Got up.'

'What, can't even make it across the room?' Sasuke settled himself down into the chair by Naruto's bed.

Naruto scowled, pushing himself up shakily. 'I Can!' Throwing off the covers, he shifted around, pushing himself roughly to the edge of the bed, before his forehead met a pale hand.

'Don't try it idiot.' Naruto scowled at him and slapped his Sasuke's hand away. He did comply however, huffily returning back to the centre and pulling the covers over his knees. Naruto pushed the cushions back against the headboard and leaned on them.

'Whatever.'

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, an unimpressed look on his face. 'Where did you even go, idiot?'

'I went downstairs, bastard.'

'And what happened?'

'I ran out… of energy. Kakashi found me. He carried me back.' Naruto's cheeks reddened.

'And this is why you look so ill again.'

'Erm... Yeah.' Naruto said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. 'Dobe.'

'Shut up.'

Smirking, Sasuke leaned back in his chair and looked out of the window. Naruto slid downwards, pulling the covers further up to his chest. Noticing, Sasuke pulled the back pillow away, letting the other fall backwards, allowing Naruto to lie flat. Placing the pillow over the armrest of his chair, Sasuke rested his elbow against it. He looked back at Naruto.

'Eating yet?' Naruto shook his head, eyes shut. Sasuke eyed Naruto's thinning wrist, and the cannula that was still in his arm just above it. Sasuke returned to staring out of the window; Naruto was obviously not feeling very talkative today. After a while, Naruto's breathing slowed, becoming deeper, more even. Sasuke smirked at Naruto's sleeping face, before getting up. He placed the pillow on the now empty chair and left the room, pulling the door ajar. Turning away, he walked down the corridor; hands in his pockets, shoulders slumped slightly. He turned left towards the stairs and bumped into Tsunade, who was walking briskly, holding a clipboard and a cup of water.

'Oh, Sasuke. Have you just come from Naruto's room?' Sasuke nodded.

'He's asleep.' Tsunade huffed.

'Well at least he isn't gallivanting around the hospital.'

Sasuke smirked. 'I heard. Just how long was he actually out of bed?'

'We think about 30 minutes. He wasn't even wearing any shoes!' Tsunade shook her head, looking exasperated. 'Please continue to visit him. He needs to stay occupied… He's like a rowdy toddler for goodness sake.' Sasuke nodded.

'How much longer will it take him to recover enough to be discharged now? I know you were looking to do it in the next week or so.'

Tsunade frowned. 'Probably about two weeks now. His little escapades proved to us at least that he can't be trusted to treat his body properly.' She shook her head. 'Nothing above simple B class missions for Naruto for a long while yet, though I doubt he will respect that…' Sasuke smirked. Tsunade looked at the clipboard she was holding. 'I have things to do. I'll see you soon Sasuke.' Smiling at him, Tsunade continued briskly down the corridor. Sasuke turned away and continued towards the stairs, a slight smile playing across his features.

**I'm sorry I haven't updated in such a long time! I'm also sorry for the lack of content in this chapter – it must be slightly disappointing after the wait…. *gets thoroughly bricked*  
>Thank you to those who kept reviewing and reminding me I need to write another chapter. I owe you… :**

Please read L'Plier! I would really appreciate it if you did :) It is a narusasu story set in London – my home city.

**Reviews result in an abundance of kidney beans.**


	17. Release

'Naruto, are you going to eat this or am I going to have to force it down you?' Tsunade asked the blonde boy propped up on the bed with copious amounts of pillows. Naruto frowned and grabbed the plate with a slice of toast and a very thin layer of strawberry jam, lifting the slice and taking a grumpy bite. She had found that he was more inclined to eat if his food tasted sweet. She watched him finish the toast and place the empty white plate on his little bedside table, before Tsunade proffered a cup of water. Naruto rolled his eyes and took it, before taking a sip and resting it on his blanket covered lap. Tsunade nodded approvingly. 'Well done. You haven't been sick in a few days now have you?'

'No... but I still feel crap.'

Tsunade nodded. 'Meningitis is serious – I'm not surprised. It's amazing really how fast you have healed. Your temperature was so high by the time we got you out of that lift that you would have most likely died if you weren't the jinchuuriki.' Naruto sighed.

'Well at least he is good for something other than fighting.' Tsunade smirked.

'Hn,' she pointed at the water. 'Drink! I won't leave if you don't.' Naruto grimaced and took another sip. He looked back at his Hokage.

'Who is visiting today?'

Tsunade smiled and leaned back in the chair by his bed, crossing her legs. 'Kakashi. I believe he has a present for you…' Naruto's eyes widened.

'Ooh! What!? What is it!?' He was practically bouncing off the bed, his face brighter than it had been for days. Tsunade understood why he had been so gloomy. He was sick of being confined to a whitewashed hospital room, attached to medication, and constantly checked up on by various nurses and doctors, making sure he didn't escape again and taking his temperature. Between visits of friends, Tsunade hadn't missed his bouts of frustrated depression. For such an energetic person, being cooped up in a bed for weeks must be an effective form of torture - she smirked inwardly and banked this new discovery as a future punishment option, though currently the threat of ordering Ichiraku's not to serve him was keeping him firmly in line. Tsunade poked the cup in Naruto's hand again and he swallowed more, finishing the little beaker and handing it back to her. She smiled and got up, taking the cup and the little plate with her and left the room, leaving behind a bored, restless teenager.

Naruto huffed at the ceiling. He flicked his eyes to the little calendar Sasuke had left him, on which he had circled the day Tsunade had promised him freedom. _Just 5 more days._ Naruto grinned at the thought of escape. Chuckling to himself, he slid down and tucked his arms behind his head, looking towards the window at the tree with the bird's nest. He had watched it being built by a pair of pigeons who were now nursing white eggs – he couldn't be sure how many, but he resolved to ask Kakashi when he came to visit. No sooner had the thought settled itself in his mind than his teacher pushed open the door, lifting a hand in greeting and seating himself down next to him. Naruto grinned. 'Kakashi!' His white haired teacher smiled with his one visible eye.

'Naruto. How are we today?' Naruto grinned.

'Better.' He looked expectantly at Kakashi who sighed, smirking.

'I have a present for you Naruto.' Naruto's face lit up and he grinned at Kakashi.

'What? What is it!?' Kakashi smirked and dipped a hand into his trouser pocket, pulling out 6 small pieces of paper. Naruto's face dropped slightly as he took them, obviously expecting something bigger, though Kakashi knew this would quickly change when he read them. He watched Naruto peering at one, his face lighting up, before grabbing the rest and comparing them to the first. He looked at his teacher, blue eyes filled with joy. 'Free ramen!' Kakashi nodded, smiling at his elated student.

'You'd better take me as payment for saving you then.' Naruto frowned, hugging the tickets to his chest, before huffing.

'Fine.' Kakashi chuckled.

'Alright then.' He leaned back in his chair and watched Naruto re-reading the tickets. 'How many days until you are free?'

'Five!'

Kakashi nodded. 'Hm. I don't need to ask what you are going to do.' Naruto waved a ticket at him.

'Nope!' The light from the window glanced off Naruto's face as he looked towards it at the sky.

_5 days later_

Naruto winced a little as Tsunade pulled out the cannula in his wrist. She placed in a little yellow sharps box she had and pulled off her gloves, before healing the wound left behind. She reached over to the bedside table and picked up a little pot of pills, holding it up to Naruto and shaking it. 'Two a day in the morning.' Naruto nodded and looked away, obviously eager to get up. Tsunade poked him in the arm, hard. 'Naruto. _Two a day in the morning. _If you don't take these, the infection will not clear and you will be back in here. Do you want that?' Naruto shook his head. She wasn't convinced. 'Repeat to me what I just said.'

'Two a day in the morning.'

'Good.' She stepped back. 'Go on then.' Naruto slid to the side of the bed and buried his feet into a pair of slippers she had placed for him, before standing. He walked over to the window and stood on tiptoe, looking into the birds nest perched on the tree branch closest to the window. _Ah, 3. _The nest was empty, except for 3 tiny, extremely ugly pigeon chicks waiting patiently for their next meal. He smirked.

The walk down to the lobby was much easier than when he had tried a few weeks ago. Fully clothed and face gilded with a smile, he walked ahead of Tsunade who was escorting him out, the little bottle of tablets rattling with each step in his jacket pocket. He reached the lobby and was presented with Kakashi leaning against a pillar, smiling at him. Naruto sped up and reached his teacher, who raised a customary flattened palm to greet him.

'Hello – you free then?' Naruto grinned and nodded affirmative.

Tsunade approached the two and addressed Kakashi. 'He's got penicillin. Make sure he takes two a day in the morning.' Naruto rolled his eyes and walked out of the doors of the hospital into the bright sunshine. He turned and waited for his teacher, tapping his foot impatiently. Before Kakashi was able to join him though, Tsunade held him back. 'He's still weak. Watch him for me whenever you can – we know from experience he doesn't actually tell us when he is feeling ill.' Kakashi nodded.

'I'll keep an eye on him.' Tsunade smiled and shook her head at the impatient orange clad boy outside. Kakashi set off, nodding at the Hokage in farewell, and left the hospital. Naruto huffed at him.

'Come on – I'm hungry!'

'Alright, alright.' Kakashi followed his overeager student towards his favourite ramen shop, shaking his head at the boy in front, who was practically bouncing. 'Naruto, it's not going to escape. You don't need to run.' The words fell on deaf ears however. Naruto took off, running almost at full tilt towards the little restaurant, leaving his teacher behind. Kakashi did not follow. Pulling out his book, he flicked to the correct page and sauntered down the dusty path at a far more leisurely pace than his student. If Naruto wanted to wait, he could wait. He was most likely very good at that by now at least.

_Fin_

**A nice long chapter to finish the story with :) **

**I hope you all liked it!**

I will write a short hot spring chapter as a little epilogue like I promised and introduce a few more characters. Iruka is one – any more specific requests?

**Thank you so much for sticking with me through my very erratic submissions and short chapters. It must have been frustrating at times – I hope I have wrapped up the story to your liking!**

Final reviews will result in excellent weather reports. You want that.


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